Prelude by Barton G.

The wife and I have gone to Prelude twice. It’s the restaurant located inside the Adrienne Arsht Center. It’s extremely convenient. Once you park you can eat and watch your show all without leaving the building. The concept of Prelude (by Barton G) is that if you are on time for your reservation, they guarantee that you will leave the restaurant on time to make the start of whatever show you are watching that day.
When you call to reserve, you pre-​pay $ 75 per person. Once there, you will get your menu with your menu choices. The problem is if you don’t stick to the menu and start ordering dishes outside of the choices given to you for the $ 75 (wifey!!!), it gets very expensive in a hurry!
The food is much better than the service. The two times we went they were understaffed and getting a water refill for example, became a tedious task. Also, the first time we went, we took our wine in exchange for a corkage fee (amount escapes me). The last time we went, they no longer allowed customers to bring their own wine, making an already pricey meal that much more expensive.
PS: Don’t quote me on this but I have heard that Prelude may be closing soon. If this is true, that’s a pity. There are many dining options in the area and at a much more reasonable price… which may be the reason for the potential closing. But, still, it is a very nice option to be able to dine at the theater.

Went last night before seeing Evita. Had a fantastic meal! The lobster bisque was amazing, as was the 48 marinated Moroccan chicken. My wife had the braised short rib and it simply melted in my mouth. Was very sorry to hear that this location will be shutting down. Thanks for all the great meals!

Formerly much better. Had lobster salad as extra. Mediocre at best. Very salty. Not worth extra charge. Had steak. Cheapo meat that was mediocre also. Chocolate dessert was very good. For about three hundred dollars for two people, I felt ripped off. Tables so close together, was very uncomfortable. Suggestion, eat elsewhere and then go to show after dining.

Beautiful restaurant with great service and delicious food, servers always make great suggestions when I can’t make up my mind and what I end up choosing never dissapoints. The meal to have with any incredible show at the beautiful Arscht center.

Very nice ambiance, good service, and good food. The food wasn’t great, but it was good. The portions are good size, and the staff was pleasant, professional, and very friendly. I enjoyed my experience, I think it’s a good deal to do the pre fixe menu before a show.

Prelude is beautiful. If you want to grab a bite and a drink before a show, this is a pretty gorgeous place to do it.
My friend and I arrived a little early to the Iron Fork event, so we went to Prelude for drinks and snacks before heading over to wait in line. We each had their only cocktail on the menu (they have a full bar, but this was their only «signature»). It was sweet and delicious and pretty darn strong! We also split the truffle fries and cheesecake. The fries were awesome although I was expecting a dipping sauce that was more inspired than plain ol’ ketchup. I’d still recommend the fries. They were delicious. Just crispy enough with that bold truffle flavor. The cheesecake was deconstructed, served in a ramekin dish with the graham cracker crust, crumbled on the side with berries. We sprinkled the «crust» on top of the cheesecake and dug in. It was very rich, but very good.
Our bill for two cocktails, an order of fries, and an order of cheesecake was almost $ 70 including the already added in 20% gratuity. I was not pleased. Everything was good, but I had two problems: (1) I don’t think we got $ 70 worth of food, drinks, and service and (2) I didn’t appreciate that 20% was already added in. I’ve seen places automatically include 15−18%, but I was surprised to see 20%. Just a warning if you go. The service was great definitely worth the included tip for us, but I would have liked to have made that determination myself.
I’d probably come back to Prelude for their prix fixe meals before a show sometime, but I’ll skip the pricey extras.

I’ve been to private parties catered by Barton G and know their food is fantastic in both taste and presentation. Reserved the prix fixe menu for a pre-​theater dinner last night. OK, good point: beautifully designed space. The rest: service s-l-o-w…At first we thought it was b/​c the prix fixe menu requires payment up front (including gratuity, so you get what I mean). Then we realized they were understaffed on a Saturday night when a major production was in the main theater. After what seemed like forever, we got our glasses of wine and my friend’s was warm. Sending them back for wine at the proper temp was difficult, I came this close to getting up & going to the servers station myself, but the «bread person» finally helped us out as our server seemed to be in the weeds. Our replacement wine? One glass was still warm but we gave up trying to get that rectified. Not having our food order taken yet, we asked for a 2^nd helping of bread but never received it.
Finally our order is taken, and the appetizer of Tuna Poke was delicious and pretty. The entrees arrived, goat cheese stuffed tortellini tasted good but was over sauced; my fish was overcooked & under seasoned. Now being too close to curtain time to get new entrees, we muddled through. Decided to order one dessert to split even though it was not part of the pre-​paid prix fixe menu. Flourless chocolate cake with ice cream and raspberry couli, declared the menu. Although there were a couple of fresh raspberries on the plate, there was no sign of couli. The entire dessert should have been taken out of the fridge & held for 10 minutes before bringing it to our table since the chilled chocolate cake lacked flavor & had a «tough» texture; the ice cream needed a knife to cut it. I realize that these menu items are no doubt made up in advance for expediency in serving within a tight time frame, but for the price they could have paid a little more attention to these details.
Saving grace: the manager came to our table, apologized for slow service, admitting they were understaffed — including just one bartender (I hope the missing servers called in sick & it wasn’t the manager’s fault for not putting enough people on the schedule). He also explained how our choices of wine are the most popular and when they empty a bottle, the next one doesn’t get to chill down fast enough. Uh, there should be several bottles of the most popular wines in the cooler before the restaurant opens for the night. Especially since their wine by the glass selection is very limited. Bottom line… the manager comped our 2 glasses of wine and the dessert. Would we go back? Yes, but certainly not with the pre-​paid, non-​refundable prix fixe menu selections. We got to our seats before curtain with only 5 minutes to spare… kinda close.

Food was average for this price level and BG expectation.
Actually I would have placed it at 2 * but the service made the difference.
Buratta was tasteless and lacked any basil. Tuna and short rib were ok.
Ravioli was a meager portion and waiter was kind enough to bring a liitle extra on the side.
Wine by the glass options were very limited.
Ambiance is good, but jellyfish can get on your nerves after an hour (maybe thats intentional!)
BG I know you can do better

We had tickets to Priscilla Queen of the Desert Saturday night and decided to eat here mostly out of convenience.
I am not usually a fan of a pre fix dinner menu, but since it was a Barton G establishment, decided to give it a try.
Well, Barton continues to deliver! What a beautiful establishment. The décor is simple and tasteful and very serene.
The food was wonderful. There were four of us and we each had something different. My husband said that the meatloaf was the best he had ever had, including the one I make! My friends had the tortellini & the roasted chicken. The polenta that comes with the roasted chicken was super yummy! My fish, trout in a beurre blanc sauce, was a little under seasoned, but it was forgiven. The deconstructed cheesecake was to die for.
The service was great. Our server Jessica was friendly and professional.
I was afraid that we would be rushed so they could get more folks in before the play but we were not, it was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be back. Maybe not even to see a show!
P. S. The Coopertini was wonderful!

I can’t quite give it five stars only because I only went for drinks and appetizers (and dessert). I loved it, and I will try it for dinner next time I see a show. The truffle fries were very good, although they could’ve had a wee more truffle oil, and the caramel apple purse was amazing! Our bartender was great too.
From the little I saw, I liked it. I will definitely try it for dinner.

We went to Prelude last Sunday night before going to see «Rock of Ages,» which was absolutely amazing.
This is the breakdown of the restaurant. You call to make the reservation and pay for the amount of people attending ($ 75/​person). Then, you get there and they seat you and you get to choose from a menu of very few selections.
The selections are OK and so are the portions. The price is a bit steep per person considering the limited options.
We had the salmon tar tar which was OK. The grouper was Ok. The meatloaf was OK. Overall, it was OK.
The service was better than the food.

My wife and I went to Prelude for the first time before the Friday «Rock of Ages» showing. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect when we made reservations for Prelude. We have been told that part of the concept behind Prelude is that they are able to get you in and out in time to make the start time for your event. This made us a little hesitant about how good the service and food quality would be.
Which is why we were so pleasantly surprised. When we arrived we were immediately asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. Seeing this was the first enjoyable weather night of the year we opted to sit outside. Our waiter and support staff was quick and courteous and always available when we needed them. Being used to Miami Spice, the pre-​fixed menu was not a problem. I had the salad and flounder while my wife had the French Onion soup and Meatloaf. We both had their signature drink (Coopertini)…actually, my wife had two. The salad was one of those items where you would not think everything would go well together but in reality each bite was better than the last. As for the flounder, it was fantastic. No fishy smell or taste, just tender flaky yum. I didn’t try the soup or meatloaf but my wife said they were excellent as well.
The final bill was not bad at all. I mean don’t expect a bargain, but the fact is the food was excellent and the ingredients were high quality. So in reality the pricing (same per person as Miami Spice) was totally acceptable. Looking forward to our next Arsht Center event and pre-​event visit to Prelude.

Make reservations before coming here. This is a great place to come prior to watching a show. The staff is aware that you are watching a show and they ask the time your show starts and do their best to make sure you have enough time to eat and be on time. So about the choosing 3 things from the menu at a $ 39 price. You can choose any combination, by that I mean, you can have 3 entrees if you want or 1 entrée and 2 desserts or 1 appetizer, 1 entrée, and 1 dessert, you get the idea you get to pick 3 of any of the items listed. You can also dine a la carte but its better deal if you do the 3 course meal for $ 39. I had the onion soup braised short rib and it was delicious. I tried the lamb and it was ok. The best thing was, the Apple Bread Pudding… warm bread pudding with caramel and delicious creamy cold ice cream. I substituted the cinnamon ice cream for vanilla and it was awesome!

I have eaten at Prelude twice now after the opera. Both times I was waited on by a jovial, portly, man without hair, who’s name I can’t recall. He was a great server.
In case it is not a given, yes you must make reservations. You are able to eat either before or after the show, regardless of when it lets out.
I really like the price fixed concept of this place. It really works well. Essentially, you have 5 or 6 options for appetizers, entrees and dessert. You can have the filet or lobster, for example, for an additional cost.
The décor is spectacular. It’s warm with jelly fish floating on high definition tvs. It sounds weird but it’s beautiful.
Saturday night I had the soup of the evening, which was lobster bisque. My friend and I thought it was delicious.
For a main course, I ate the mahi francaise. It was served with potatoes and green beans in a beure blanc sauce. Quite tasty.
The dessert was some sort of strawberry mousse cake. It was very good.
Yes, it’s true. Some of the tables are on top of each other. It is cramped in some areas and people are literally trapped in. But otherwise, it’s a must do, especially if you are attending a show at the Arscht Center.
Enjoy!

We went there tonight for dinner and drinks. When we arrived the hostess, Yolanda, could not have been more rude. We were a party of 14 and were supposed to have reservations, there was a mix up and they said we did not have reservations and that because they were crowded we would have to stand in the entrance in order to not «be in our way». As we discussed our plans, over the period of literally 3 minutes, Yolanda and company must have asked at least 4 times that we immediately leave the restaurant in a straight forward and rude way. This is my second time at a Barton G establishment and my second huge disappointment. I find the food average at best (although very creatively displayed), service horrible and staff rude. In a town with great restaurants and inviting atmospheres there is no reason to allow this sub par restaurant to disappoint again.

Luckily I had made a reservation and was able to walk right in. Unfortunately I had not expected to sit 6 inches from the table next to me. This place can do without 20% of the tables in there. Between having to walk in sideways and having everyone listen to my conversation I felt uncomfortable.
The food was good but all they try to do here is up-​sell. The ability to choose if you want any # combination of appetizer, entrée or desert was very commendable.

Make sure you get a reservation if you plan to come here before a show. Otherwise, arrive very early and expect to sit at the bar. The bar was cramped and the service a bit spotty with one bartender for the 10 or more people eating and drinking.
At Prelude, they have a fixed menu for $ 40 you get a 3 or 4 course meal. Or they have an A La Carte menu, which for us at the bar, was nowhere to be found. Instead, she handed us the fixed menu and used that and with no prices on it, had to look up on the computer each thing we inquired about.
Being on a budget, this place is not really for you, unless you are willing to share and be hungry (or a bird — like Elizabeth’s review!). We shared the Chopped Salad which was surprisingly tasty, interesting, and unique. It had an interesting blend of flavors and was spot on yummy. We also went we the Corn Pudding side to sample and it was pretty good too.
There was no drink menu to be found, so we sadly passed on cocktails, which I remembered being amazing last time I was here. The location is pretty to look at, the food was tasty too. Much better choice than Bombay downstairs and next time I’d love to try the full menu.

My wife, I and two friends dined there Saturday night just after the show crowd had gone in for the show — we went just for the food. The experience couldn’t have been better! We sat at the bar with Ray and Jen, and their recommendations were spot on. Everything was delicious, and the wine pairings that they, Terry, and the manager Amin made were outstanding. Even though we had only dined there once before, and that visit was at least 6 months ago, Ray, Jen and Amin remembered us and made us feel like part of the family. As for the food, the tomato bisque was excellent, the short rib osso bucco was one of the best dishes we’ve ever eaten, the duck confit was top notch as was the trout. Since it was a prix fixe menu, we chose to go with 1 appetizer each followed by 2 main courses each. We will definitely be going back!
A few tips:
1. Sit at the bar with Ray and Jen
2. On nights where there’s only 1 showtime, make a reservation just after that show starts. The restaurant will be empty and you’ll get the same great experience without the crowd.

It is a wonderful convenience to have this restaurant within the Arsht center. I also love what Barton G. has done with the concessions –a gourmet pick ‘n mix is genius.
The restaurant is lovely, but jam packed with too many tables. On my visit (4÷9÷10) they were well, just disorganized. Though our waiter could not have been better skilled, or nicer, we were made to wait well into our appetizers for water and other beverages which were both surprisingly the responsibility of the bartender or so we were told. They were also out of espresso until our server was able to dig up some, which I thought was odd.
Even though I had prepaid for my $ 100 (3 courses for 2 people with service included) pre-​theater menu I ended up spending another $ 70 on beverages, side dishes and surcharges for things like lobster salad. I think they should consider at least adding coffee to their menu.
The food was good, but nothing beyond the always fabulous Barton G presentations really excited me. The lobster salad was very tasty but light on the salad. The duck confit had all the right flavors and the white beans were delicious, but the duck itself wasn’t great (organic higher end meats make all the difference!). My chocolate cake was good, but rather run of the mill. I preferred the flight of custards my friend had. Overall, I would return for the shear convenience and overall adequacy of it all. Yet, for the price, I was relatively underwhelmed.

Okay, I came here and thought it was a lovely ambience — I really loved the jellyfish lighting. (Sorry for wording it that way, but this is not going to be a published review.) :)
Service was just okay, but I did see some problems. But I hoped them to be opening day problems that will soon be fixed. They were the following:
1. Waiters should not go in/​out going under the bar counter.
2. Waiters seemed to be rushed — the waiting experience doesn’t end once the waiter leaves the table. The rushed attitude will permeate the air around the diners.
3. Waiters should avoid passing other waiters in narrow aisles, between tables. There’s plenty of other aisles to go around. Take advantage of that, to help calm down the ambience.
Other than that, our waiter was very friendly and I enjoyed his company.
The food was good to great. It varied. But pretty much all the suggested wine pairing for the dishes were on spot.
BUTTER POACHED SHRIMP SALAD
This supposedly had fennel, grapefruit, avocado, and citrus vinaigrette. But seriously, it was one big shrimp with a few pieces of the forementioned ingredients. While I loved the flavors and thought it to be fresh, another person thought it was «fishy.» Either way, it wasn’t worth the price. Pass.
SHORT RIBS EN CROUTE (w/​baby vegetables, braised potatoes)
The short ribs en croute wasn’t really «en croute.» In fact, it was just a piece of bread on top that wasn’t anything special. The short ribs were braised in liquid, or so it tasted — and like stew. While it was good, I wasn’t really crazy over it. And the vegetable offering was tasty, although somewhat small. Pass.
DUCK CONFIT (w/​green lentils, sausage, carrots, onions, leeks)
The duck confit and the lentils were very well seasoned and tasted very «homey.» It’s definitely what I would consider high quality comfort food. I would order it again — but I’m not so sure if comfort food should be $ 16.25 a plate (since the three-​plate prix fixe goes for $ 48.75 including tip and tax) but since it’s inside the Arsht Center, with nice ambience, and good service, I don’t think it would be much of a complaint. I would order it again. Recommended.
GOAT CHEESE TORTELLINI (topped w/​a red pepper cream, roasted red pepper strips and asparagus tips)
I had a small bite of a friend’s goat cheese tortellini — and I must agree with him that they were pretty much velvety perfect. I really loved the flavors of the tortellini, and I thought it was the star plate of all the stuff I had tried. Recommended.
GRILLED SKIRT STEAK (w/​red beans, poblano pepper, corn and watercress)
The skirt steak was the largest of the portions of all the plates I had seen. But also, the steak was very mediocre — it tasted a little too plain and it would disappoint a true carnivore (unless if portions mattered to you). The sides were just «eh» as well. Pass.
But because of the service kinks and some food that I thought could be better, especially for the price you’d be paying, I have to refrain from giving it 5 stars. It almost would be there though, once they get the kinks worked out. And once they do, I’ll repay them a visit.